Fuel loading completed for Unit 7 of Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant in Lianyungang, Jiangsu, China, entering commissioning phase with nuclear fuel

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On August 18, with the completion of core loading correctness verification and the commencement of protective tube assembly reinstallation, the first nuclear fuel loading work for Unit 7 of the Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant in Lianyungang, Jiangsu, was successfully concluded, marking the entry into the commissioning phase with nuclear fuel and laying a solid foundation for subsequent reactor criticality, grid connection, and commercial operation of the unit.

Fuel loading is a key milestone in the full lifecycle of nuclear power unit construction and a critical starting point for unit operation with nuclear fuel. Unit 7 of the Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant is the first VVER-1200 Generation III nuclear power unit to be constructed in China, and this fuel loading also marks the first-ever loading for China's first VVER-1200 nuclear power unit. The loading process commenced on August 12 and concluded on August 18, with a total of 163 nuclear fuel assemblies loaded, comprising three phases: fuel assembly transfer, fuel loading into the core, and loading correctness verification. The most critical phase, fuel loading into the core, utilized a fully automated remote fuel loading control system. Throughout the entire loading process, all operations on fuel assemblies were automatically executed by the system based on coordinates preset by staff. It is understood that Unit 7 of the Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant will subsequently undergo reactor reassembly, reactor criticality, turbine rolling, and grid connection.

The Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant plans to construct a total of 8 units, with Units 1-6 already completed and put into operation, cumulatively supplying over 500 billion kWh of electricity to the grid. The under-construction Units 7 and 8 of the Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant each have an installed capacity of 1.265 million kW and a design lifespan of 60 years. According to the project construction plan, Units 7 and 8 of the Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant are scheduled to enter commercial operation in 2026 and 2027, respectively. Once all 8 units of the Tianwan Nuclear Power Base are fully operational, the total installed capacity will exceed 9 million kW, with an annual power supply of over 70 billion kWh, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 57.4 million tons per year.